Freestyle Tests ??

Slimey94

Well im entering a freestyle to music test on my boy at the beginning of August, an i've never done one before lol.
So what is the judge actually looking for?
Is it meant to symetical?
Should my trot and canter be broken up with the free walk, or could i do it at the start or end?
and any other tips?
And with these new tests, for novice, would i be allowed to leg yeild and do counter canter? or would that be over complicating it??
Clearly i have NO clue...and thats just the test, wait til i have to get music to go with it hahaha

__________________
"I think if I became a horseman, I shall become a man on wings."

Lin

Freestyle are fun!

To answer your questions:

1. The judges are looking at both the technical execution of the test and the artistic presentation. The technical execution is like normal, how you perform the actual compulsory movements. Artistic presentation is looking at the choreography (how you use the arena), the music and whether it fits your horse and the choreography you are doing, the general harmony etc. Technical execution and artistic presentation are marked equally (ie 50% each).

2. You can do any choreography you like as long as you perform the complusory movements. Symmetrical is nice, but can be predictable. Remember you get points for inventiveness. You can walk in, you can canter in if you want, up to you.

3. You can only do movements that are included in current EFA tests up to and including the level freestyle you are doing (in your case Novice). You will be eliminated for performing any movement that is from a higher test.

The compulsory movements listed on the 2008 Novice freestyle test must be performed. Neither leg yield nor counter canter are listed in the 2008 Novice freestyle test as compulsory movements. You could argue that you could do leg yield because it is now a feature of the current Novice test (2009). Can't remember if counter canter is part of any of the new Novice tests.

I have to say I would be getting a ruling from the EFA as to whether you can do leg yield in the Nov freestyle. Or maybe just play it on the safe side and do the compulsory movements from the 2008 Nov freestyle test only.

4. Tips? Get the test sheet and look at it. Including how much time is to be allocated. Map out a choregraphy that you like, video it, fine tune to fit the time, then pick the particular music.

__________________
Lin

springbok

There is a list of compulsory and permitted movements in freestyles for each level. You MUST do the compulsory movements (or you will receive a zero for those movements which effectively can put you out the competition) and you are allowed to perform the permitted movements which if completed well will increase your degree of difficulty. There are also movements which you must NOT perform which are those from a higher level (eg. counter canter at novice level). Doing this will entail elimination. There is a table with all these movements in the 2008 EA Dressage Rules - http://www.efawa.com.au/site/equestr...8DrRulesA5.pdf

Compulsory movements at novice level include entry and exit, free walk (consecutive 20m), working trot and canter, moderate lengthening at trot and canter, 10m circle left and right at trot and 15m circles left and right at canter and lastly change of rein throught trot at canter left->right and right -> left. The permitted movements for a novice freestyle include medium walk and leg yield.

Hope that helps!

Lin

There is a loop in canter in the new Novice 2D that is a precursor to the counter canter. Wouldn't that be a permissable movement too?

__________________
Lin

nannygoat

I found little point in doing movements other than the required ones because you actually don't get any marks for them.
The time is pretty tight to get through them all anyway.

Freestyles are fun and one day I hope I do one that I am proud of and not just 'winging' it!

but that was a really good summary Lin ( as always)

springbok

Yeah, I wondered that too. Counter canter is not a permitted movement on the permitted/compulsory movement list for novice however it's not on the "Movements NOT Permitted" List either - a curly one I guess.

pso

NG- movement not listed, but allowed, can gain you a higher mark for technical difficulty...which has a coefficient of 4...so you can gain lots of marks

nannygoat

hahah I tend to go with safe - hard enough to remember that!
But you are right of course.

I never am very inventive (read echidna...) LOL

Lin

So, it's a bit like the double backwards pike with a twist of lemon in diving then! Go for it, Nanny!

__________________
Lin

pso

Nah- I've tried that...it doesnt mark very well in dressage!